The present invention relates to air data sensing probes. In particular, the present invention includes embodiments of an improved air data probe capable of operating solely as a total temperature sensor or in combination with pressure sensing probes as a multifunctional air data sensor.
Reducing weight and aerodynamic drag continues as a primary design goal for external components mounted on air vehicles. However, air data probes for sensing and measuring properties of a fluid medium near an air vehicle preferably protrude from the air vehicle to detect relatively undisturbed air flow to accurately measure air data parameters. For redundancy and safety, duplicate protruding probes are used for flight-critical information to ensure that back-up systems are available in case of failure of one system. Unfortunately, each such probe increases aerodynamic drag, weight, complex electrical and, often, pneumatic, coupling as well as observability.
The aerodynamic drag generated by probes that protrude into the fluid stream rapidly increases as an air vehicle accelerates from subsonic to near-sonic velocities. In fact, as velocity of an air vehicle rises to near-sonic velocity, the aerodynamic drag of known probes begins a pronounced, and undesired, upward trend. When multiplied due to presence of back-up air data sensing equipment, this component of aerodynamic drag adversely affects air vehicle performance. Thus, combining sensor capabilities into a single aerodynamic shape greatly reduces total drag on the air vehicle. Additionally, further refinement of protruding air data sensing probes into compact, low-mass air data probes yields savings of electrical power to deice and anti-ice the probe. Thus, aerodynamically efficient, multiparameter air data sensing probes that eliminate weight, reduce aerodynamic drag, observability and provide relatively simultaneous single-point measurements solves several long-standing impediments to efficiently measuring flight-critical air data parameters. Therefore, a need in the art exists for aerodynamically-shaped, efficient, multiparameter air data sensing probes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,475 issued to Frank D. Werner teaches fundamental concepts regarding air data probes. U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,475 is hereby incorporated by reference.